


Life in Secrecy

by NotATorontonian (TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns)



Category: Life with Derek
Genre: Athletes, F/M, Fame, Hockey, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23879977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns/pseuds/NotATorontonian
Summary: Derek and Casey consider their point of view on fame and the state of their secret relationship.
Relationships: Casey McDonald/Derek Venturi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	Life in Secrecy

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [La Vie en Secrète](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26203060) by [NotATorontonian (TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns/pseuds/NotATorontonian)



It is not that Derek is ashamed of her and that is why he is so secretive about their relationship, really.

No, _really_.

It is because he knows the price that will come from this once the news is out. I mean, he _is_ a famous hockey player, fairly popular and recognized in the streets, and his girlfriend is his stepsister. The media would have a field day, and Casey does not need the stress.

Even now, years down the line, or rather two years, four months and 8 days to be exact, not that he is counting, Derek still struggles with the concept of “coming clean”, so to speak.

Of course, all the secrecy made everything more complicated, much more than he would have anticipated. Holidays were hard to plan, dinner reservations meant they had to be as far away from other patrons, windows and even security cameras as possible and that they also had to leave the restaurant at either different times or via different doors.

They could not just go out and enjoy themselves or their relationship like other couples could. _Like Casey could if only she dated someone else_.

It was not misery all the time, though. Derek liked his privacy and he knew that sneaking around was a small price to pay for the great relationship he had. In turn, it meant that the two of them could continue their lives without involvement from the press, the paparazzi and without unwanted attention from the fans.

Derek was by no means oblivious to the female attention he received, and even basked on it a little bit, because he has changed and matured, but not born again. It has been excessive and unwarranted lately, though.

The team bumped him to the front of a marketing campaign focused on, you guessed it, the female fans. His face was splashed through every single Maple Leafs’ social media account in existence, and never has he ever gone in so much variety shows.

That, coupled with his ever-improving ice prowess, Stanley Cup success and a very-likely Most Valued Player award in the horizon, made him center of attention, and it was nice and cool for a while, but it was starting to grate on him.

Yeah, his salary had a massive increase these last few months, and the royalties for his jersey were shamefully high, but he was a hockey player, he should be focusing his energy in practice and games, and yet, he skipped practice more than once because he was on set at CBC.

Popularity did seem a curse, now more than ever.

* * *

At first the attention Derek received bugged Casey.

She found it difficult to separate who he was from the version that everyone else created for him, and for someone who saw him throwing up his stomach out before his games at Queens, it was really saying something.

It is not like she was confused by the front he put up, especially because that was kind of his thing ever since she met him. She knew her Derek, she loved her Derek but the fame side of him was a hurdle she could not quite grasp how to tackle but she agreed with herself from the start that she had to find a way, because she was falling even harder for him as the time ticked by.

With their relationship in hiding, she was able to avoid any negative comments that she saw a lot of the athlete’s significant others received. There were no creepy fan accounts for her following her every move. There were no comments about her appearance or weight. She could go to work as normal and just be herself.

She did not have to be the “girlfriend of Derek Venturi, MVP” unless she wanted to be, and she just wanted to be Derek’s girlfriend. It cleared the pressure from their relationship, other than working out how not to get caught, and so far, it was working fairly well.

However, now she is not so sure it could continue in this way.

Casey really thought this was what she wanted, and perhaps it was for a while. A happy life in secrecy, with no concerns for what other people thought of them together.

The problem was, they could not live like this forever. Something would blow the cover and now it really is a matter of when and how. Their relationship had to go public at some point and even if it did not, she kind of wanted it to be. To claim public ownership.

Besides, how on Earth would their relationship move forward in secrecy? How would they get married? How they would have children?

Does Derek even want that?

Sometimes she felt like her mind would just melt down in doubts, questions and fears, and she just wanted to end it all. Perhaps it _was_ better just to come out and let the media tear her apart.

Especially now she was not thinking not only about herself.


End file.
